Old Reliable, with a few loose ends
Written: Feb 16 '02
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Overall, my experiences with Sears.com have been quite good - the is clearly one department store which has given some thought to its online presence. However the site and the people behind it are not perfect, and could stand some improvement in a few areas:
Pricing: Sears.com usually has the same prices on items that the local Sears stores do. While any given item may not be priced the lowest you can find it for elsewhere, the prices are usually competitive, and when a sale is on, they can offer some real bargains. If you are already a Sears customer and find that their prices are reasonable to you, you will find that the website's prices are probably right about what you are expecting.
Selection: At times, the online version of Sears has a wider array of goods than the local stores do - I found over 40 different battery chargers when I looked online, while the local branch had only 5 options. At other times, the online store had disappointingly few options, such as when I searched for Dreamcast games, which the local store has many of in stock, but which the online version offered only 2 games on one visit and none on another. For appliances, home exercise equipment, and other large ticket items, the selection online seems to mirror the local inventory pretty closely.
Customer Service: My experience with them has been very good. On one ocassion when I was looking for an obscure technical spec for an exercise bike, I had to be transferred a couple of times until they got me to the right department, but when I finally got there, he could answer every question I threw at him, including general comparisons between models. Clearly, this guy knew his stuff. On another ocassion, while I was awaiting delivery on a television, I had to contact them to get my delivery time. The woman I spoke to was polite, friendly, and got me the information almost immediately. When I have had to deal with them about a return or an exchange, they have handled the issue promptly and appropriately.
Site Design and Navigation: Here is where the site takes a few hits. The site offers numerous "departments," trying to emulate the feeling of being in a real Sears store. However, the names of these departments are not always intuitive, and you may well find yourself in an area that you didn't intend to go to. In addition, several of sears' affiliated sites are accessible via a single click, but these sites use separate checkout systems, and going to one will cause you to lose all of the items in your cart.
Also, each item listed has one of two icons next to it -- a red icon tells you that the ietm is currently available for purchase on the website, while a blue icon tells you that the item is not available online (umm...ok. So why list it?) but might be available at your local store (If I wanted to go to my local store, I most likely wouldn't be visiting your WEBSITE, Einstein). These icons are easy to miss, and it is very easy to wind up with a bunch of items that they cannot deliver. Prominently marking these items "Out of Stock" would suit web shoppers more than telling them that they might (or might not) be available locally.
These are annoying, but easy to overlook problems, however. In all other respects Sears.Com resembles its brick and mortar companion closely, and old-time Sears customers should find the site refreshingly familiar.
Recommended:
Yes
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About the Author
Member: Kevin Barth
Location: Silver Spring, Maryland
Reviews written: 252
Trusted by: 55 members
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